Dub Syndicate was the avant-robo-reggae duo composed of UK producer Adrian Sherwood and Style Scott, famed drummer of the iconic Roots Radics. The basis of the group was that they took Jamaican dub, teamed up with a bunch of iconic latye 70s and early 80s Jamaican champions, and recorded futuristic dub and experimental music, with some cool vocal tracks thrown in for good measure.

Out Here on the Perimeter 1989-1996 rounds up five albums and collects the abnd’s mid-period. Interestingly, at this juncture, the group was both looking forward and looking back. Namely, 1989’s Strike the Balance finds the group shifting back to early ‘80s Roots Radics / Scientist sound- sparse, hard hitting, catchy instrumental and dub. But, to spice things up, Sherwood and Scott drop random samples and robo sounds on top of the music and even cut a few KILLER vocal tracks. “Cuss Cuss” and “Mafia” with vocals from Bim Sherman are some of the greatest 80s/90s reggae every recorded. The tunes are seeped in a sort of cold paranoia, but they are anchored by an incredibly snappy beat.

But, the twist is that in the music, there is a great deal of whimsy. “Boof Um Baff” is really just a funky jam and it has cartoon vocals dropped on the top that make the thing sound like a reggae Speedy Gonzalez. Likewise, the experimental aspect is understated here- “I’m the man for you abby” has Gary Williams’ vocals highly distorted into a Barry White type figure and it’s sort of a slow burning, lovers reggae jam.

Further discs find the group getting farther out. “Wadada” has killer vocals from Prince Far-I while the group sees how far they can break down traditional dub. “Stoned immaculate” juggles classic rockers beat with sci-fi sound affects and acid washed samples while harmonious singers channel classic soul. In a way, the whole thing seems to be an attempt to see at how much can they tie into the mix while retaining a core reggae identity. The answer is a lot- and in fact, this whole mélange probably wouldn’t work so well if it wasn’t anchored to that indelible Jamaican pulse.

Also, Lee Scratch Perry shows up here and there and it is totally rad.

By the end, the group is still toying with concept of reggae well into 1996- long after “the heyday” of roots music. That being said, it’s meaningful and important that style scott, Sherwood, and all the great cast here – Errol Holt, Skip McDonald, Prince Far I, Lee Scratch Perry,Dr. Pablo, and even Keith Levene- can see just how far the genre can go. It’s ironic that many non-Jamaican reggae fans saw music like this as heresey, when actual Jamaicans, as added by Sherwood and crew, make some of the most vibrant reggae music- which is deliberately OUTSIDE the “rules” of late 70s and 80s reggae. The title of this collection could not be more apt.

The set also includes a bunch of bonus tracks, some fantastic remastering, and a nice booklet packed full of info. This is yet another fantastic collection released by On-U. keep ‘em coming!